


He's My Cherry Pie

by castiel_lawrence



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Birthday Fluff, Castiel & Sam Winchester Friendship, Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love, Dean Winchester's 40th Birthday, Dean Winchester's Birthday, Demons, Destiel - Freeform, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Human Castiel (Supernatural), Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Blood, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Nobody is Dead, Protective Dean Winchester, Supportive Sam Winchester, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Tortured Castiel (Supernatural)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-20 23:10:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20683496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castiel_lawrence/pseuds/castiel_lawrence
Summary: It's Dean's birthday and both him and Castiel are determined to make it special. Dean has big plans for his 40th, but everything goes to shit anyways.Ergo, a little bit of fluff, a little bit of angst, and a lot of Destiel to warm your heart.





	He's My Cherry Pie

Castiel felt utterly helpless. He was drowning in his own self doubt and unabashed pity.  
“Sam, the box said three minutes on each side,” Castiel said, frowning. “It’s been two and I can already smell the batter burning.” He peeled the edge of a pancake from the pan. The outside was nearly black, but the inside was still runny.  
“Is your heat too high?” Sam asked from the table as he finished his bowl of cereal. Castiel nodded, scraping off his second attempt at pancakes to start a third. He turned the heat down to medium.  
Once Sam saw Castiel struggling to flip the pancakes, he got up to help. Grabbing another spatula from the drawer, Sam gently guided Cas away from the stove to aid him in his endeavor. He flipped a pancake over with practiced ease. Castiel furrowed his brow, annoyed, as Sam backed away to give Cas free reign over the kitchen appliance once again.  
“What?” Sam said, confused.  
“I could’ve done it myself,” Cas replied, more disappointed in himself than annoyed with Sam. Ever since he went mortal, he’d had a burning desire to accomplish, to take pride in the things he’d done. He had a fresh start and he wasn’t going to waste it.  
“I know,” Sam said, understanding Castiel’s struggle. He stood next to Cas, watching the pancakes cook for a little longer while Cas reached for the whipped cream on the top shelf. He cursed in Enochian under his breath when he discovered he wasn’t tall enough to reach it. Castiel sunk back down, sulking over his pancakes once more.  
Sam’s mouth curled into a smile. “Do you want help?”   
…  
“Yes.”  
…..  
Another hour of preparation later, plates and napkins were set around the table for three, and a huge stack of pancakes with syrup, whipped cream, and strawberries was sitting in the middle of the table. Sam and Castiel were pleased with their creation. It had been Cas’ idea, but Sam’s knowledge of kitchen utensils and possession of more experienced human taste buds had saved the day.  
“Cas? Sammy?” said a voice from down the hall. Sam and Cas turned towards the doorway and waited, beaming.   
A bed-headed Dean walked through the door, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He froze in the doorway, staring wide-eyed at his boyfriend and his brother.  
“Happy birthday!” Cas and Sam said in unison.  
“You guys!” Dean said, catching their infectious grins. “Thank you so much!” He walked towards them with arms open. The three embraced for a moment, and Dean kissed Cas on the cheek before pulling away.  
“Someone’s happy this morning,” Cas said, picking up a rare but not unwelcome vibe from Dean.  
“Well, it’s my birthday, isn’t it? I’ve got big plans today. I haven’t had a free birthday in years!” Dean said, sitting down to the table.   
“You never want to celebrate, but Cas thought you deserved something special.” Sam said, cutting into the stack of pancakes in front of them. Dean picked up a fork and gazed at Cas, smiling at him in reverence. Though Cas and Dean had been together for longer than Castiel had been human, these new human feelings that arose when Dean looked at him like that made his heart flutter.  
Dean served himself a slice of the breakfast-pancake-birthday-cake and took a bite. “Holy shit…” he said, closing his eyes.  
“What? Is something the matter?” Cas worried, shifting his eyes from the pancakes to Dean. Dean shook his head sharply and swallowed.  
“These are the best damn pancakes I’ve ever had,” He said, taking another bite. Cas was silent until Sam started to laugh. He joined in, realizing his mistake. Dean smiled at both of them through a mouthful of pancakes.  
…..  
After breakfast, Dean decided to go back to his bedroom. Cas joined him, and they laid in silence for a few minutes.  
“I thought you said you had big plans…” Cas said quietly, shifting slightly in Dean’s arms.  
“Shhh… these are my big plans, baby.” Dean whispered, carding his fingers through Cas’ hair. “I’ve got something in mind for dinner, but all I wanna do is be with you today.”  
Cas smiled, gazing up at Dean the same way Dean looked at him. Cas could feel both of their heartbeats speed up and then even out to the same slow pace as they basked in each other’s presence.  
“I miss… your soul…” Cas said, bringing a hand to Dean’s chest.  
Dean chuckled. “Last time I checked, it was still there, baby.”  
Cas shook his head. “No… when I was an angel, I could see it… It’s so bright. It’s the most gorgeous soul I’ve ever seen. I think it’s what made me fall in love with you…” Cas admitted shyly. Seeing Dean’s soul was the one thing he wished he could still experience. The learning curve of becoming human was hard enough.  
Dean smiled softly, his eyes closing. His smile twisted into a frown for a moment.  
“Cas?”  
“Hm?”  
“When you took my soul out of hell… was it angry?”  
“... No. It was just… tired. Your soul just kind of… clung onto me.” Cas smiled. “You didn’t let go until I had to put you back into your body.”  
Dean hummed contently and kissed Cas, a silent thank you.  
Dean and Castiel laid there for nearly an hour, not sleeping, just resting in silence together. Around lunchtime, Cas started to get fidgety.  
“I’m going to go make us something to eat,” Cas said quietly, shifting out of Dean’s arms slowly, not wanting to disturb him in case he still wanted to rest. Dean followed him to the kitchen and snuck up behind Cas, who was looking through the fridge.  
“How about we go for a drive instead? We can get some food and then come back and watch a movie before dinner. I need a burger.” Dean was more excited than usual.   
“Are humans normally this excitable when they are forty?” Cas pondered aloud, a smile creeping into the corners of his mouth.  
“Hey, you’re like, millions of years old, sweetheart,” Dean said, laughing breathily, “And I told you. Big plans for later.” Dean kissed Cas on the forehead and swung out the door. Cas sighed, grabbing his coat and following Dean out the door.  
…..   
The burger joint was crowded, but they got their food quickly. Dean attributed the speedy service to “birthday luck”, which confused Cas. Human birthdays didn’t have any sort of pull in the balance of the cosmos. They ate quietly for a little while, taking in the nostalgic scenery of the place.  
“This is nice.” Cas said, taking another bite. Dean nodded, chewing. It was an 80s themed diner, which was why Dean picked it. Cas’ attention turned to the music for a moment. It was some soft rock song that Cas recognized the tune of from inside the Impala. “I like the juke boxes. They’re so vibrant.” Cas said as Dean nodded along to the beat.  
“I think they still work,” Dean said, “Lemme go request a song for you.” Dean slid out of the booth, smiling. Cas took a slip of his milkshake and watched Dean insert a quarter into the machine. He thumbed through the song options, selected one with a grin, and walked back to the table. Dean had the stupidest grin on his face. “Let’s kick it up a notch!” he professed, leaning back in the booth as the previous song finished out.   
The intro guitar riff to Cherry Pie by Warrant kicked out of the speakers. Dean drummed on the table with his hands to the beat. He squeezed his eyes shut in concentration, smirking. Castiel didn’t recognize the song until Dean started singing along.  
“HE’S my cherry pie! Cool drink of water, such a sweet surprise!” Dean always changed ‘she’s’ to ‘he’s’, just for Cas. Dean sang along just under obnoxiously, pointing at Cas on the pronouns. Cas loved every minute. He laughed at Dean’s stupid air guitar and practically wheezed when he used the salt shaker as a microphone.  
“Swing it!” Dean shouted a little too loudly, throwing his arms up at the end. Cas clapped for him and another couple joined in, having seen Dean’s little performance for his boyfriend. Dean and Cas laughed, smiling at the other couple.  
“I’m glad they enjoyed the show.” Dean said, finally relaxing a little bit, coming down from his rock-induced high.  
“From my experience, humans do enjoy extended metaphors and innuendo in popular music.” Cas responded. When he became human, Cas started to enjoy music even more than he already had. He had the freedom to sing and to dance… not that he hadn’t before. It just felt different now. Dean snorted, finishing his burger. He slid the paper-lined basket over to Cas.   
“You want the rest of my fries?” he said. Cas shook his head. “Suit yourself.”  
Cas took the basket anyways and stood. “Here, I’ll clean up.” Dean tried to help, but Cas swatted his hand away lightly.   
“It’s your birthday! It’s the one day a year you have to let me help you.” Cas said gleefully as he picked up their finished lunch.  
“My hero,” Dean said with those sexy eyes that made Cas shiver.  
…..  
“Dean, we’ve seen this a million times.” Sam said, tossing the DVD case back to Dean with a slightly exasperated tone.  
“I know, but Cas has never seen it!” Dean opened the case of Hatchet Man and loaded the DVD player. He hit play and joined Cas on the bunker’s couch. It was a strange time of day for a horror movie; it was only three in the afternoon. Nevertheless, the gore of the film had Cas curled up next to Dean’s sleeve.  
After someone’s head was violently chopped off with a hatchet, by Hatchet Man himself, Cas whispered into Dean’s ear, willing his human body not to be squeamish. One more perk of being human: he felt a stronger sense of remorse at any type of death or pain. “Don’t you get tired of watching… your job?”  
“If you’re scared, we can turn it off, love.” Dean said, running a hand through Cas’ hair.  
“I’m not scared, I’m just… vertiginous.” Cas said. Dean just held his hand and squeezed it when he knew the gory parts were coming.   
When the movie was over, Dean was ready to announce his plans.  
“This better not be a strip club, Dean.” Sam said, laughing dryly.  
Dean laughed too. “Nah, I don’t do strip clubs anymore.” He smiled at Cas. “Twenty one plus. Same kind of money, but with more clothes.”  
“Casino?” Sam said, cocking an eyebrow with interest. Dean nodded.  
“I went to cash out at the ATM earlier, we’ve got all the credit card money we could ask for. Plus, there’s a restaurant there.” Dean walked over to the center table and opened the drawer. He pulled out three stacks of money and tossed two to Cas and Sam. They were at least a couple inches thick, all twenties. “Hope I can get a good steak tonight.”  
For a moment, Cas thought it might be wrong to steal from the hacked credit cards, but the human part of him lit up at the lack of consequence. “Dean,” Cas said while estimating the amount of money in his hands. “What do you wear to a casino?”  
“This one’s pretty high end, so suit and ties for everyone. Sam, you good to leave in an hour?” Dean said.  
“Yeah, should be fine.” Sam said. Maybe little Sammy was a risk taker after all.  
The three each went to their own closets to get ready and met up in a little less than an hour. Cas was having a little trouble tying his tie correctly, so he entered the main room of the bunker last.  
Dean’s eyes lit up when he saw Cas. “Damn, Casanova,” he said, looking him up and down. For once, Cas didn’t feel sized-up or embarrassed. He felt loved and confident. And besides, that kind of compliment meant a lot coming from the absolutely smoking Dean, who was dressed in an all black suit. Dean kissed him right on the lips in front of Sam. Sam rolled his eyes sarcastically and Cas smiled at him.  
“Ready to go, baby?” Dean asked, digging in his pocket for his keys. Cas nodded. Dean took his arm and led him out the door.   
“I thought they said chivalry was dead,” Cas joked as Dean opened the car door for him.  
“It’s damn near dead. Sam gets the front.” Cas faked pouted and Dean was grateful his boyfriend was okay with the backseat. Sam never complained about winning his front seat privileges.   
…..  
“Holy shit…” Sam said when they entered The Gold Halo Casino. Dean had heard it was fancy, but damn, this was the life. There were sparkling chandeliers overhead and the walls were made of white marble with black velvet curtains draped over them. Everything looked as it had been tinged with gold.  
“Damn straight,” Dean said, “happy birthday to me!”   
Soon enough, they were welcomed by a waitress carrying a platter of champagne glasses. “Free champagne?” she asked with a business-friendly attitude.  
Dean nodded, thanking the waitress as she handed each one of them a flute of alcohol. Cas took a sip, and then realized he’d never had champagne before.  
“It’s more sour than I expected… but not half bad.” He took a drink, downing the rest. Sam nearly spit out his drink while snorting and Dean’s eyes went wide.  
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there, sweetheart. You’ve got a long night ahead of you.” Cas decided he would try and keep pace with Dean instead, who’s glass was only half full.  
Dean walked up to the hostess. “Do you have a reservation, sir?” She said, as equally business-like as the waitress.   
“For Dean Watson.” He said with a smile. Castiel Watson, Cas thought, had a nice ring to it. The hostess guided them to a table. She sat them down and handed them menus.   
“Welcome to the Gold Halo! On the back side of your menus, you’ll find specialty drinks,” she said as they all flipped through their menus. “And tonight’s dessert is cherry pie, a la mode.”   
Dean smiled at the waitress. “It must be my birthday or something!” he said. Cas smiled too, remembering their lunch outing.  
She laughed. “I’ll have your waiter over in a moment.”  
Once she left, they all thumbed through the menus. Cas was excited. In all his years, he had never been to a casino. He was glad Dean chose to share this moment with him and Sam.   
Castiel was having a little difficulty choosing something to eat. His inexperienced taste buds had no clue what to get, and he had never eaten anything of this caliber before. He enlisted Dean’s help in picking a meal. “What should I get?” he said, leaning over to Dean.  
“Well, you can have anything you want.”  
“I have no idea. Can you choose for me?”  
“Of course, baby.” Dean gave the menu another once over and tried to find something he thought Cas would like. “How about this?” he pointed to some sort of chicken dish, and Cas nodded, trusting Dean with his appetite.  
“How is everyone tonight?” the waiter said, holding a pitcher of water.  
“Awesome,” Sam said.   
As he filled the glasses on the table, he asked, “Is there anything else I can get for you to drink?”   
“Uh, whiskey. Top-shelf. Surprise me.” Dean said.   
“Same here.” Sam said. The waiter wrote their drinks down.   
“And for you?” He said, looking at Cas.  
“Water’s just fine for me thank y-”  
“He’ll have the same thing as us.” Dean said, more to Cas than to the waiter. He wrote it down anyways.  
“Are you gentlemen ready to order?” There was something too mechanical in the way he spoke that bothered Cas. He couldn’t put his finger on it. They ordered their food and sat back to enjoy the rest of the night.  
Halfway through the meal and three rounds of whiskey later, Cas was feeling a bit dizzy. He was just a little buzzed, feeling happy and wonderful. Sam and Dean were presently in a conversation about Dean getting drunk, underage.  
“Dad had to come pick me up and everything. He was so mad.” Dean shook his head and laughed dryly, taking another drink of whiskey. “God, this steak is so good. How’s your… salad, Sam?” Dean narrowed his eyes.  
“It’s great, thank you.” Sam said, taking another bite.  
“I can’t even believe it. We come to a steakhouse where everyone looks like they know J-Lo and you order a salad?” Dean joked.  
When the pie came out, Dean barely even savored it. He finished it faster than both Cas and Sam. Cas decided cherry pie would be the next thing he learned how to make.   
After dinner, Dean hit up the blackjack table with Cas while Sam chatted up a woman with heels that were certainly higher than comfortable. Cas watched Dean play his first game intently, trying to figure out the strategy. After a few minutes of ‘hit’ and ‘stand’ and ‘split’, Dean added a hundred more dollars to his pocket.  
“Wanna try, baby?” Dean said, gesturing to the table.   
“No thank you. Hey, did you see a restroom on the way in?” Cas said, his eyes floating around the room. They landed on their waiter from earlier, who was watching them from behind the bar. Cas thought it was strange that he wasn’t in the restaurant section of the casino anymore.   
“Uh, yeah. They’re down that hallway I think.” Dean pointed to an outcropping near the front of the casino. “I’ll be here, angel.” Cas nodded, turning to walk towards the restroom.   
Without his angel-ness, Cas felt small as he crossed the large entryway. A part of him wished he’d asked Dean to come with him, or at least wait for him outside. The bathroom was empty when Cas walked inside, but he didn’t feel alone. He swiveled to his right, towards the stalls, but was met with a figure that pushed him against the wall. He heard the lock on the door click.  
“Ooooh, the dumb one!” the man said, pushing hard with his forearm onto Cas’ chest. “Shouldn’t have gone out into the big scary world all alone like that!” It was their waiter from earlier.   
“Unhand me.” Cas commanded, clenching his teeth, trying to wriggle free. He was stronger than Cas expected for his size. He was as tall as Cas, but seemingly less muscular.  
“Nope!” his eyes flashed black. “I don’t think so.” Well, that explains the super-strength. Cas panicked, and brought his leg up as hard as he could, his knee colliding with the demon’s groin. Cas was able to wriggle free, but all this appeared to do was piss the demon off.  
“Come on, Cassie, I thought we were having fun!” The demon raised his arm, sending Cas flying into the mirror hanging on the wall. His angel blade soared out of his coat pocket, clattering to the ground. The mirror shattered as Cas’ shoulder collided with the glass, cutting one side of his face. Cas flinched, panting, and scrambled to get a foothold in the battle. He’d seen so much, angel and human, but fear paralyzed him in this moment.  
“We can do this the easy or the hard way, angel-face.” The demon cocked his head for a moment, sizing Cas up. “Maybe angel-face is the wrong term. How about… hairless ape?” The demon smiled wickedly, picking up the angel blade and holding it over Cas. Cas breathed heavily, trying his hardest to remain calm and calculate his next move. The demon raised the blade and drove it down, stopping inches from Cas’ sternum. The demon leaned in close to Cas’ ear. Cas shut his eyes tight, breathing shakily, preparing for the worst.  
“Come with me and no one here has to die.”  
…..  
When Cas didn’t come back after another full game of blackjack, Dean started to worry. He looked around for Sam, who was still chatting up a pretty lady at the bar. “Hey, Sammy, what’s up?”  
“Oh, hey. This is Marie. She’s staying at a hotel near here and get this- she actually does know J-Lo.” Sam said. Marie Who Knew J-Lo smiled and waved at Dean.   
“Yeah, yeah, cool,” Dean said, his mind and eyes elsewhere. “Have you seen Cas anywhere? He went to the bathroom 20 minutes ago and he’s not back yet.”  
Sam furrowed his brow. “Where did you look?”  
“I didn’t. I thought he could’ve been with you.”  
“Did you at least text him?”  
“He’s not answering his phone!”  
Sam rolled his eyes. When he saw how worried Dean was, he dropped the attitude. “Fine, I’ll help you look.” He apologized quickly to Marie, promising to be back in a few minutes. She just smiled and went back to nursing her drink.  
Sam and Dean took a lap around the casino floor. Still no Cas.  
Dean worried aloud, still rapidly texting Cas. “God, he could be drunk and throwing up in the bathroom! I shouldn’t have ordered anything for him. I should’ve stayed with him. I know he can’t handle alco-”  
“Dean, relax. Let’s just go check the bathroom.”   
Dean pocketed his phone and walked down the corridor. He knocked first. “Cas?”  
No answer.   
He jiggled the handle. Locked.  
“Shit…” Dean said, reaching in his suit pocket for a lock pick. He wiggled the tool around for a few seconds, and he wrenched the handle open when he heard it click. The door hit the wall as Dean stormed into the bathroom.  
Shattered glass. Blood on the floor. No one in sight.  
“Oh my God.” said a dumbfounded Sam.  
“Jesus Christ… CAS!” Dean yelled, racing out the door in the other direction.  
…..  
Although Cas went with the demon willingly, he knocked Castiel out as soon as he obliged.  
Cas groaned, his head pounding. He tried to move, but his arms, legs, and torso were tied to a chair. The front of his suit was stained with blood, presumably from the cut on his face, and he seemed to have sprouted bruises in his unconscious state.   
“Ah, you’re finally awake.” Cas tilted his head up, dizzy. Cas tried to get a hold on his surroundings, but his head was spinning. He heard the demon say something, but it didn’t register. He seemed to be in a nicely furnished private room. It had nice chairs and mahogany tables, and the curtains were similar to the ones in the lobby.  
Cas felt a fist collide with his stomach, hard. He could barely keel over in pain due to his restraints, so he let out a breathless shout instead. The demon grabbed Cas’ hair and yanked his face backwards, forcing Cas to make eye contact with him.  
“I asked you a question, featherweight,” the demon snarled. Cas could only whimper weakly, still unable to find his bearings.  
“Damn, you really are stupid. Let me make things simpler for you.” The demon let go of Cas’ hair and held the angel blade he stole earlier to Cas’ arm. “Where is Crowley?”  
Cas was surprised at the question. “He’s dead,” Cas said weakly. The demon slapped Cas across the face, hitting the side with the cut.  
“Bullshit, sweet cheeks.” The demon cackled. “I know that you know Thing One and Thing Two are out looking for you right now, and when they walk in here, I’m going to kill that son of a bitch Sam and then make Prince Charming watch you die.” Cas shivered.  
“I won’t let you.” Cas said firmly.  
“Aren’t you a little tied up at the moment?” The demon cut Cas’ arm quickly and violently with the angel blade. Cas inhaled sharply and tried to breathe through the pain.  
“If you won’t tell me where Crowley is, I’ll have to beat it out of lover boy myself.” Cas hated the thought. He shut his eyes, arm still stinging, and tried to calm his spinning human mind. When Cas said nothing for too long, the demon ripped open Cas’ dress shirt with the blade, cutting his chest in the process.  
Cas screamed in pain, trying so damn hard to focus on an answer. “I-I don’t know what to tell you! Crow...Crowley died three years ago!” Cas spoke quickly, not wanting to get hit or punched or sliced again. To his surprise, the demon backed away. Cas, breathless, reluctantly asked, “What do you want with Crowley?”  
The demon’s eyes turned black once again. “He owes me my soul!” He raised a fist, and punched Cas’ lights out once again.  
…..   
Armed with only hidden angel blades and their brains, Sam and Dean scrambled for a plan. Dean was in too much of a panic to stop and think, so without any words, they decided to wing it.  
Dean put on his most professional persona and marched back into the restaurant area. Sam followed suit. Dean grabbed a couple empty glasses from a recently abandoned table and started power walking to the kitchen.   
“Dean, are you crazy?” Sam whispered.  
“Absolutely.” Dean answered firmly. Nevertheless, Sam grabbed an empty bread basket and followed Dean through the kitchen’s swinging doors. They entered, not making eye contact with a single soul. Stepping swiftly to the back of the kitchen, they abandoned their items and walked through a door marked “VIP” at the back.   
“Bingo,” Dean whispered. He drew his angel blade and walked down the hallway. Sam drew his as well, and they listened through the doors as they snuck down the corridor. They seemed to be filled with groups of people, laughing, playing poker, drinking…  
“Dean, come here.” Sam beckoned Dean to a door on his left. “This one’s too quiet,” he whispered.   
“It has a lock, I don’t want to jiggle it. Surprise attack?” Dean whispered back. Sam nodded and got out of the way. Dean backed up, raising his leg and kicking the door near the handle. The door swung open to reveal a very bloody, unconscious Cas and a black eyed demon. The waiter? He looked surprised at the entrance of the Winchesters, but swiftly raised his angel blade to Cas’ neck.   
“Close the door, boys. I just want to chat.”   
“Did you tell that to Cas too?” Dean said, angry. Sam reluctantly closed the door. Dean didn’t budge. “Put the knife down, freak.”  
“Whoa, no reason to be so vile, Dean. Answer my question and I’ll let you all go scot-free.”   
“Go ahead, punk.”  
“Where is Crowley?”  
“Crowley’s dead.” Sam said, confused.   
“Ugh!” The demon got up, walking away from Cas to confront the boys. “I don’t believe it for a second! That son of a bitch is too stubborn to die!”  
“Damn straight, dirt bag. But it’s the truth.”  
The demon sauntered closer to Dean. “Your bitch wouldn’t tell me where he was either, so I figured I’d let you watch him die before I rung the answer from your meat sack myself! Crowley took my soul from me, and I will not stand by and watch him live like a king while I-”  
Dean cut him off by stabbing his angel blade through the demon’s stomach. He gagged and flickered for a moment before falling limply onto the ground. Dean pulled out the angel blade.  
“Well, that was… quick.” Sam said, almost surprised at his brother’s forwardness.  
“It’s my birthday. I don’t have to listen to monologuing.” Dean said as he focused his attention on Cas. He knelt by the chair and started to untie his legs. God, he looked awful.  
“Sam, come help me.” Dean tried to wake Cas up as Sam worked on the other restraints. “Hey, it’s me baby… Can you hear me? Shit, he’s not waking up.”  
“There’s a door out back to the parking lot. We can carry him out without being noticed.” Sam said while finishing up with Cas’ binds. Dean scooped the limp Cas into his arms and followed Sam into the hallway. Dean noticed the cut to his chest and gasped.  
“Sam, he’s still bleeding while unconscious, we have to hurry.” Dean started to panic even more than he already was. “Car keys are in my pocket.” Sam took the car keys from Dean’s pocket and opened the door that led to the outside world. Sam still had his angel blade drawn in case there were any more demons to deal with.  
Reaching in the trunk for the first aid kit, Sam didn’t say a word. Dean looked like he was about ready to snap. He could smell the worry and blame seeping out of Dean. Sam opened the back door of the car for him and Cas and got in the driver’s seat. He helped Dean lay Cas on the backseat. Dean climbed in the back and laid Cas’ head on his legs.  
Sam opened the first aid kit and tossed Dean a handful of gauze pads. Dean started pressing them to the deepest parts of Cas’ cuts as Sam drove off out of the parking lot and onto the highway back home.   
“He’s going to need stitches, at least for his chest,” Dean said. He could tell Cas was still breathing; Dean was certain he’d live. “What the fuck did he want with Crowley anyways?” Dean spat, seething.  
“He said something about his soul… how could he not have heard Crowley was dead?” Sam said, still as shocked as Dean.  
“I’m just glad I sent him back to whatever rock he had been living under,” Dean resolved.   
…..  
About five miles from the bunker, Cas stirred. Dean had been paying attention to the road signs to see how much longer they had to drive, so he snapped his attention back to Cas. He groaned, then inhaled through his teeth when he felt the pain return.  
“Hey, hey, it’s alright, baby,” Dean said softly, but quickly. “We’re almost home. I’m gonna help you, okay?”   
Cas nodded weakly. “De... Dean…” he tried to say.  
“Shhh, shhh… it’s okay.” Dean held out his hand. Cas gripped it and squeezed, still attempting to breathe through his injuries. A few miles later, they were home.  
“Can you walk, Cas?” Dean asked, opening the car door with his leg. Cas nodded, wincing as he sat up. Dean slid out of the car helped Cas out of the backseat. He swung Cas’ arm around his shoulder and half-carried him into the bunker. Dean got to work right away.  
“Sammy, can you get me some whiskey?” Sam nodded, hurrying towards the kitchen. “And I need some dental floss and a needle!” Dean shouted after Sam as he led Cas to the bathroom.   
Dean sat Cas down on the edge of the counter and started running some water. He took off Cas’ tie, suit jacket, and ripped shirt, discarding them onto the floor. Cas took off his shoes and socks, followed by his dress pants. He took a washcloth and pressed it to Cas’ face. The blood there was dried, and the cut was fairly shallow.  
“Looks like this one isn’t too deep. It’ll heal in a couple weeks.” Dean scrubbed gently at his angel’s face and watched him carefully to make sure he wasn’t hurting him. Cas was definitely in shock from his ordeal. He was in a decent amount of pain, and he looked so tightly wound that Dean wasn’t sure if he heard him.  
“Hey, Cas, look at me,” Dean said, placing the palm of his hand on the other side of Cas’ face. Cas turned to look at him, glassy-eyed and lost. “You’re safe now, okay?” Cas hesitated, but nodded. Dean went back to work. Cas’ forearm was still bleeding, so he put pressure on the wound and started to wrap it with a bandage.  
Once he was done with Cas’ arm, he pressed the washcloth to his chest. Cas winced. Dean placed his other hand on Cas’ thigh for a moment to steady his mind. Aside from the large cut from his collarbone to just above his pectorals, his chest was littered with scrapes and bruises. Once he was done cleaning the blood from Cas’ chest, Dean started threading a sewing needle that Sam had brought in with dental floss. Dean poured whiskey onto a cotton pad and pressed it to the cut. All Cas did was inhale and shut his eyes.   
“I’m not gonna lie… this is probably going to hurt a lot.” Dean poised the needle over Cas’ chest. “I’ll try to go as quick as I can.” Cas nodded vigorously, not wanting to think about it. Dean pierced his skin with the needle and Cas shivered. Dean worked as fast as he could. He got about a third of the way through his task when he felt tears start to drip onto his hands.  
“Hurts…” Cas said weakly when Dean stopped. He sniffed and his chest heaved.   
“I know, baby… I’m so sorry. Just a little longer, okay?”   
Cas tried to stay as still as he could, even while crying. It made him feel a little better, even though he was petrified. The fact that Dean was helping gave Cas a sense of security; he could never do this alone.  
Dean pulled the last stitch tight and cut the dental floss. “All done.” He smiled at Cas, who still had his eyes closed. Dean hated seeing him like this. “Would a shower make you feel better, angel?”  
“Yes.” Cas said quietly.  
Dean ran some warm water in the shower for Cas and handed him a towel. “I’m gonna go find you some clothes and something to eat. Will you be okay on your own?” Dean asked, furrowing his brow. He didn’t want to leave Cas alone, but cared about making sure he felt safe and got everything he needed.  
When Dean left the room, Cas stared at his chest in the mirror. The stitched-up cut was long and ugly. It wasn’t a clean stroke; it was jagged and deep. It was probably going to hurt for a long time, and scar for even longer. Cas felt an extremely human sense of shame.  
He climbed into the shower, scrubbing at his skin. It took Cas awhile to understand how bruises worked, and it was at this moment he missed his healing powers. If he was still an angel, he could dull his pain. Maybe then Dean wouldn’t worry so much. Cas was new to being human, but he was always able to see Dean’s pity. He would be an idiot to ignore it.  
Once the water falling off Cas’ skin was no longer red and his hair was clean, Cas stepped out of the shower. He dried off his hair and body with the towel and wrapped it around his middle. He stepped out of the bathroom and padded to Dean’s room, his wet feet sticking to the floor as he walked.  
Dean’s room was plain, but Cas liked it that way. He used his room mostly for storing clothes and personal belongings, and his bed was just a small cot that they had never replaced after Cas went mortal. Dean’s room was functional, mechanical almost, but there was a certain comfort in the uniformity that Cas have never appreciated. Cas slept with Dean most nights, unless Dean was out on a hunt or he wanted to be alone. Dean’s bed was warmer, softer, and more permanent.  
Dean was on the bed when he entered. There was a bowl of ramen on the bedside table and a set of clothes for Cas.   
“I didn’t know what to grab from your room, so I just grabbed my own clothes. I hope that’s okay,” Dean said, handing the stack of clothes to Cas.   
“That’s more than okay. Thank you,” Cas responded. He took the towel off and started to put the clothes on. He had no problem being naked in front of Dean, but he turned away slightly when he saw Dean watching him with a smile. Cas threw on Dean’s old band t-shirt, faded with wear and age, and turned back around to a frowning Dean.  
“What?” Cas said. He started towards the end of the bed, sitting down next to Dean. He handed Cas the bowl of ramen.   
“You know it’s nothing to be ashamed of, right?” Dean shifted his eyes to Cas’ chest when he spoke. Cas froze.  
“How did you know?” Cas said, taking a bite with his bandage-clad arm. Dean just leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Cas was about to apologize, but Dean interrupted his self-pity.  
“I’ve dealt with the same thing. Sometimes I don’t want you to see me when I’ve got a lot of bruises or when I’m hurt… I don’t want to make you worried or upset.” Dean pressed his mouth into a thin line. “Feeling better?” Dean asked. Cas nodded. He was grateful Dean felt the same way. To avoid a moment that was too sappy, Cas changed the subject.  
“You missed your birthday.” Cas said, frowning at his chicken-flavored ramen.   
“No I didn’t, baby.” Dean laughed. “I mean aside from the fear that you were dead and the serious torture, it was a pretty solid birthday.” To Dean’s surprise, Cas smiled.   
“I’m glad. I’ll be okay. I just need some time to rest,” Cas said in the middle of a bite of ramen. “I never gave you your birthday present!” Cas shot up, handing his ramen to Dean.  
Cas journeyed to his room as fast as his injured body could handle, pulled the small box out of his drawer, and went back to Dean’s room. Dean looked curious, slightly confused even. Cas handed him the box and plopped down next to him on the bed.  
Dean lifted the lid to reveal a woven leather bracelet with the initials ‘DW’ embossed into a metal plate in the center. He smiled. “Cas, it’s beautiful, angel.”  
“Let me put it on you,” Cas said, reaching for the bracelet. He slid it around Dean’s wrist and pulled the strings to tighten it. Dean twisted his wrist into a few different angles and made a goofy face at Cas.  
“How do I look?” Dean said, crossing his eyes.  
Cas laughed, leaning in to kiss Dean. “Happy birthday, Dean.” Dean cupped Cas’ face with his hand. “I love you.”  
“I love you too, angel.”  
…..

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I said I'd have this up last week but AP classes are kicking my ass!!! I have almost no time to write at home, so I've been going to the dark corners of the library to write gay fanfics in a public school in Kansas. Hope you enjoyed this one <3 (Another Stucky one is coming soon!)


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